Unesco general conference opens in Paris

Paris, Oct 6 (DPA) Representatives from Unesco’s 193 members gathered in Paris Tuesday for the opening of the organisation’s bi-annual general conference. The aim of the 17-day meeting is to determine policies and main lines of work as well as to adopt the budget and programme for the next two years.

In addition, the conference is expected to name Bulgarian diplomat Irina Bokova as its next director-general, replacing Japan’s Koichiro Matsuura, who served for 10 years.

The 57-year-old Bokova won the nomination in a controversial five-round election over eight other candidates, including Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Hosny.

Hosny’s candidacy sparked outrage because of statements he had made that were construed as anti-Semitic.

If confirmed by the general conference, Bokova will become the first woman director-general in Unesco’s 62-year history.